Watch moment Derbyshire police detain bloody handed killer who almost decapitated his victim

A Derbyshire police officer who confronted a violent killer has been commended for his bravery.
PC Richard Edge and Chief Constable Peter GoodmanPC Richard Edge and Chief Constable Peter Goodman
PC Richard Edge and Chief Constable Peter Goodman

PC Richard Edge received a commendation from the Chief Constable at the Derbyshire Constabulary Celebrating Achievement Awards on Thursday, September 11.

Held at Derbyshire County Cricket Club, the awards celebrated acts of bravery, heroism and hard work.

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PC Edge received his commendation for his role in apprehending Martin McDermott – who had just stabbed to death Leslie Salmon at Burdett Lodge bail hostel, Derby, in August last year.

PC Richard Edge and Chief Constable Peter GoodmanPC Richard Edge and Chief Constable Peter Goodman
PC Richard Edge and Chief Constable Peter Goodman

After receiving a call to reports that a man had been stabbed PC Edge bravely entered the hostel and found Mr Salmon - who he organised medical help for - before completing his search for the killer.

Body-worn footage taken at the time showed the moment PC Edge found McDermott in the garden of the hostel – his hands still covered in blood from the vicious attack.

PC Edge was among dozens of officers and staff from the force who received various awards, including PCSO of the Year (won by Kerry Wallington-Waite), Student Police Officer of the Year (won by Rorry Head), Community Police Officer of the Year (won by PC John Anwar) and Neighbourhood Team of the Year (won by Chesterfield Town Centre Safer Neighbourhood Team).

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Also commended for their bravery were five officers who rescued a man from a burning car after a head-on smash in Whittington Road, New Whittington, on October 22, 2017.

The driver of one of the cars, 72-year-old Michael Bradshaw, was pulled from the car as flames took hold of the vehicles. Both Mr Bradshaw and the driver of the other vehicle, 30-year-old Daniel Spooner, tragically both died.

And while the heroism and hard work of those on two legs was clear to see – those with four were also celebrated for their hard work.

PD Sybil, a specialist forensic search dog, found crucial evidence that caught a violent rapist.

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Sybil, and her handler PC Christopher Stanyard, were called on a January rest day by officers in Leicestershire after a 78-year-old woman had been violently raped in her own home.

Shyhiem Frances-Myers made his victim shower to remove his DNA and prevent him being brought to justice. However, with Sybil’s incredible sense of smell, Frances-Myers was arrested and jailed for more than 13 years.

Chief Constable Peter Goodman said: “Nights such as this are a truly humbling experience – showing the incredible work that is done by officers across the county.

“We have seen officers who have dealt with the most difficult and traumatic circumstances – to teams of officers who have worked hard to solve problems in communities - to detectives who have solved some of the most horrific crimes.

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“I would like to say an enormous thank you to every officer for the hard work that they do day-in-day-out to keep the people of Derbyshire safe and many congratulations to those who have won awards and been commended tonight.

“Night’s like this make me so proud to be the Chief Constable of Derbyshire and serve as a reminder to the level of dedication that our officers and staff show on every day.”

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